Machine for cleaning wire goods.



G. MAFERA.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING WIRE GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14, 1911.

1,012,385. Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

3 SHEETBSHEET 1.

Wwaaear Inn/677F607":

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH (0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. MAPERA.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING WIRE GOODS.

11 21110111101! FILED SEPT. 14. 1911.

1,012,385. Patented Dec. 19,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOUHAPN CCL. WAsmNuTON. n. c.

GUY MAFERA, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING WIRE GOODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed September 14, 1911. Serial No. 649,272.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY MAFERA, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Revere, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Vii-e Goods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making wire goods, such as flat helices of wire of which bed bottoms are constructed.

The invention consists in the combination with a machine for forming the helices, of means for subjecting the wire, as it is delivered, to suitable absorbent material in granular form for the purpose of removing oil and grease which accumulate on the wire in the course of manufacture.

The cleaning apparatus is shown in conjunction with a machine for which Letters Patent No. 668,410 were g 'anted me February 19, 1901.

Of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which the invention may be embodied: Figure 1 represents an elevation of a machine for forming a flat helix of wire and equipped with mechanism for depositing the cleaning material upon the wire helix. Fig. 2 represents a top plan View of the machine. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring first to the machine for forming the wire helix, a. brief general description may be given. On the drawings, the bed is indicated at 10. The bed supports helix-forming mechanism including a flat mandrel 11. The mandrel extends through a casing 12 afi'ixed upon the bed and is connected with a gear 13 by which it is to tated. The gear 13 meshes with a gear 14 atfixed to a shaft 15. The gear ll: meshes with a driving pinion 16 on the power shaft 17. The power shaft is provided with pulleys 18.

WVithout describing in detail the structure within the casing 12 for forming the wire helix, it will be suflicient for present purposes to state that a wire'19 is drawn into the casing 12 through a suitable opening, as shown by Fig. 2, and is coiled about the mandrel l1 and delivered from the end of the mandrel in the form of the flattened helix, as indicated at 20. The forming mechanism is the same as illustrated and described in the aforesaid Letters Patent 668,410.

The cleaning apparatus comprises walls or partitions forming a chamber inclosing the delivery end of the mandrel, and means for depositing in said chamber sawdust or other cleaning substance. The cleaning chamber has an opening for the discharge of cleaning material, the discharged material gravitating therefrom into a bin from which it is again taken and deposited into the cleaning chamber, thus keeping the cleaning material in circulation.

A container or bin for the cleaning material is indicated at 21, said bin being preferably disposed under the bed. A. suitable conveyor of any desired construction is provided for conveying the cleaning material from the bin and depositing it upon the helix near the delivery end of the mandrel. The conveyor in the form illustrated comprises an endless chain 22 having blades or buckets 23 at suitable intervals. The chain passes over sprockets 2t and 25, the sprocket 2t being mounted upon a shaft 26 above the maiulrel, while the sprocket 25 is ar 'anged in the bin 21 and is allixed upon a shaft 27 which extends through the bin, as shown by Fig. 3. The outer end of the shaft 27 is driven in any suitable manner, the driving mechanism illustrated comprising a pulley 28, a belt 29 running thereon, and a driving pulley 30. The driving pulley is atlixed to a shaft 31 mounted in bearings on the bed 10. The shaft is provided with a gear 32 which is driven by a pinion atlixed to the shaft 15. Both stretches of the conveyer chain are inclosed above the bin 21 by a casing which includes two separate branches, indicated at 3st and 35, said ln'anches respectively inclosing the two stretches of the conveyor. The upper part of the casing, indicated at 36, incloses the sprocket 2 1 and supports the bearings for the sprocket shaft 26. The mandrel extends between the two branches 3 1 and 35 in such relation to the upper sprocket as to receive the cleaning material which is discharged by the buckets 23 as they pass over the sprocket. The mandrel at this point inclosed by the valls 37 of a cleaning chamber, whereby a suitable quantity of the deposited cleaning material is retained, as shown by Fig. 8, the cleaning material be ing indicated at 38. The walls of the cleaning chamber extend under the mandrel and about the sides thereof so as to retain enough cleaning material to at least partly through it.

,ducted back into the bin 21.

envelop the mandrel. As shown by Fig. 3, the delivery end of the mandrel is wholly enveloped by the cleaning material. The quantity of cleaning material deposited in the cleaning chamber may be regulated by gates 39 which slide in bearings in the casing 36. The cleaning chamber is provided with anoutlet for the discharge of the cleaning material, said outlet being indicated at 40. This outlet, as illustrated, is in line with the mandrel, so that the helix 20, as well as the cleaning material, may pass The cleaning material which escapes through the outlet 40 is caught by a chute 41 by which it is deflected and con- A guard42 partly incloses the down stretch of the conveyer to keep the cleaning material away from the same to avoid undue resistance to the movement of the conveyer. The cleaning material contained in the cleaning chamber is subjected to the action of the mandrel and the helix, which rotate continuously. The mandrel stirs the cleaning material and forces the helix through it with a wiping action, thereby thoroughly causing all the oil and grease to be wiped upon the cleaning material. The agitation of the cleaning material, which is effected by the mandrel, causes the material to settle into a compact mass in the cleaning chamber and facilitates the circulation through the cleaning chamber, thus causing the oil-laden material to overflow to make room for fresh material from the conveyer.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making a flat helix of wire, the combination with a flat rotative mandrel for the helix, of a receptacle partly inclosing said mandrel, and a quantity of absorbent material of granular form in said receptacle and partly enveloping said mandrel, said receptacle having an opening for the delivery of the helix.

2. In a inachinefor making a flat helix of wire, the combination with a flat rotative mandrel for the helix, of means for depositing granular material upon said mandrel and helix, and a receptacle for said material, the walls of said receptacle extending under and about said mandrel soas to retain'a quantity of granular material to partially envelop said mandrel and helix, said receptacle having an outlet through which the granular material may overflow. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

GUY MAFERA.

lVitnesses:

W. P. ABELL, P. WV. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

